A 20-year-old man was charged with murder Sunday in the death of his mother at their home, a crime that has stunned this tranquil village neighborhood.

Police said Jeffrey Steele killed his 59-year-old mother, Theresa Bernard, around 2 a.m. inside their 277 N. Ballston Ave. home. Steele was arrested not long after his mother was killed, although how he was found and where he was taken into custody was unclear.

Police also would not say how Bernard was killed or what may have led to her death. Scotia police and town officials did not return calls seeking comment.

Steele was arraigned on second-degree murder charges Sunday afternoon in Scotia Village Court and sent to Schenectady County jail without bail.

Shocked neighbors stood outside the green, two-story home throughout the afternoon Sunday as local and State Police investigated the scene. Steele and his mother were both unassuming, quiet and kept to themselves, neighbors said. Many described Steele as timid and awkward around others.

"We saw (Steele) all the time in here, but he never talked much, ever," said Jonathan Tejada, an employee at Loffredo's Fifth and Fifty Pizzeria, which is two doors down from where the house. "I thought he was a little weird, but never would have expected something like this. It's crazy."

Neighbors said Bernard had been living on North Ballston Avenue for about a decade. They said another man they believed to be either Steele's father, stepfather or Bernard's live-in boyfriend also lived at the house.

The killing occurred near a bustling intersection not far from the town's main drag, less than a mile from Collins Lake, town parks, Jumpin' Jack's Drive-in and other popular local landmarks.

Kathleen Clark said she often saw the older man and Steele together outside working to rebuild the house's front steps, but that she didn't know either of them or Bernard very well. Clark, who lives in an apartment complex two houses down from Bernard, said she never heard any commotion at the home the night Bernard was killed. She did say however, that on Sunday morning she found a strange bag outside her apartment door hours after the killing that was taken away by police. It's not clear what was inside the bag or whether police believe it was related to the case.

Clark said she was shaken by Bernard's killing.

"Even though they're saying it was a domestic situation, it's still scary," Clark said.

Robert Loffredo, owner of the Loffredo's Fifth and Fifty, said Steele would come in often.

"(Steele) was able to make small talk, you know, the 'Hi, how are you doing?' sort of stuff, but nothing much more than that," Loffredo said. "He was a real frequent customer. He'd order the fried food sampler, a buffalo chicken wrap, or the spaghetti dinner, sit down, wait, get his food and leave."

Loffredo said Steele applied for a job at his store once, but he didn't hire him.

"It's a little eerie thinking about, I mean this guy was in here all the time," Loffredo said. "It's tragic what happened."